The River Has Roots by Ama El-Mohtar

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar is almost too short to be considered a novella. It is practically a short story that has been padded out with beautiful illustrations and has an extra story added to stretch out the length. But it is a gorgeously written novella – drawing on a range of fairy tale traditions to craft something that feels both modern and traditional at the same time.

Two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, live on the land that sits on the boundary between the real world and the world of the fae. They sing to two giant willow trees that bound the river Liss, a river that flows from one domain to the other and is itself magical. Esther is being courted by a human but is in love with a fae called Rin. At the same time she is devoted to her sister and knows that a relationship with the fae may impact on that bond.

The River Has Roots is classic fairy tale – full of song, transformations, unbreakable bonds, good characters and bad. It is beautifully written, and the idea that magic is a form of language (or “grammar” as it is called here) is an effective metaphor. But because of its classic form there are few surprises. The story goes pretty much in the way that readers will expect. And while that can be comforting it does not allow the narrative to soar.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

7

7.0/10